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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25746172">the sea is cruel and so is the living (but i found a home in you)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/spark_M/pseuds/spark_M'>spark_M</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Pirate, American Sign Language, Deaf Character, Dojae arent inherently romantic you could just read it as platonic tbh, Family Dynamics, Gen, M/M, Minor Character Death, Pirates, Reunions, Sign Language, Supernatural Elements, Trans Character, Trans Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:14:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,093</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25746172</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/spark_M/pseuds/spark_M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯. The siren signed to him. It took a moment for it to register in his mind, scaled fingers speaking the language he knows by heart. He had only heard tales of sirens and mermaids, and had never seen one in his year at sea. His first instinct should have been to kill it, but as he gazed deep into the creature’s eyes, the whites replaced by a faint purple, he saw the same desperation, the same longing to live he used to see when he looked in the mirror. The siren was so morbid, his body bruised dark shades and features sunken in - but he was also breathtaking. Doyoung wanted to know his story. </p><p>or</p><p>The story of a siren with a kind heart and a runaway pirate who find a home in a crew of misfits.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun &amp; Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung, slight Johnten - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Trans NCT Fic Fest</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello!<br/>The prompt I had was #TFF068. Thank you to the prompter, I really enjoyed writing!<br/>I hope you enjoy reading this story. I'm kinda proud of it! Here is a rough sketch of what I envisioned Jaehyun and Doyoung to look like. I'm not that great of an artist so I couldn't quite capture it. I actually wanted Jae to be more morbid. If anyone wants to draw it please let me know!</p><p>AN:<br/>I had forgotten that I made a playlist for this fic! <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2gU1IWGOLfIqCQuFLHAUBA?si=Z9fWvORpTyeP65A6_3tpFA">Here is the link!</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Doyoung left town with bruised ribs, a heavy heart and no plan, the last thing he had expected was to find a home between a group of broken boys and a wooden ship.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With bandages tight around his chest and messily chopped hair, he had climbed up to the rocks opposite of the town, with nothing but a necklace to tie his heart to. He had stood, he had watched, he had felt. He remembers hearing whispers of the sea, he remembers the salty air, he remembers the raven perched upon the rock next to him. He hadn’t known then, the very same raven would leave playful scars alongside his hands as a show of affection, he hadn’t known the crew that came alongside with the black creature, but as the months came and went, the raven and the crew became family.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their meeting was an interesting one- Doyoung with nothing in his pockets but his small knife, sat on a rock. And an auburn haired boy, shouting from an upcoming pirate ship, asking what he was doing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Livin’!” Doyoung had answered, and that had been enough for the boy, because not even half an hour later, there were three bodies next to him. They had sat and talked, talked until the sun disappeared behind the laughter they carried. Their souls had intertwined, and he had never said yes to a question so fast when he was asked a question he had been hoping for. With stars in his eyes, he had found a family in eight criminals, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>First thing he learned alongside how to handle a sword had been sign language. Nakamato Yuta -the best gunman in the crew, was deaf. Born that way and hadn’t let it get in the way of his love for the sea. He could read lips as well as the waves, but the crew still learned the language of his hands to a basic level at least, and Doyoung was no exception. It took a while, but after Doyoung found himself understanding most of Yuta’s movements, they had grown strong. They had bonded over having something keeping them from their dreams, had cried together and encouraged each other. And they had made a promise- if they find another lost soul, another heart desperate for a family, they would help. Though their experiences were vastly different, they would be damned if they let another hopeless heart bleed by and do nothing about it. Yuta hadn’t even been one of the boys Doyoung had spoken to on that cliff, those had been Sicheng, Johnny and Donghyuk- the latter being the one to call out to him from the sea. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had grown so attached to each and every one person in his little family. Him and Johnny spent nights chatting about the depths of the sea, about the life they lived, about how fate had brought them together. Donghyuk helped him adjust to the rocking of the ship when the tide got too violent, he squeezed his hand until Doyoung felt like he could breathe without throwing up again. He never left his side until he was sure that a smile was present, and he always made sure to wear one himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Him and Mark had gotten started on a bad foot, with the younger pointing out his “girlish” voice and the bandages around his chest that barely showed through his white shirt he had been given upon arriving. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m as much a man you are” Doyoung had sneered, readied himself to be thrown aboard- deemed bad luck to have a “woman” on the ship. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aye, you are.” Taeyong had said, resting a hand on his shoulder. “But those bandages are doin' a number on your ribs I bet.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Doyoung had been too stunned to speak, the captain of all people had been the one caring for him and not leaving him to die in the depths of the violent sea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The crew hadn’t uttered a single negative word, only talked about how he shouldn’t use the crappy bandaged he had stolen before he left town. Apparently, Johnny had a friend from his old crew that was the same as Doyoung, but used a tight shirt that was too small to hide his chest. The next day, he had been handed a white stretchy fabric by a shy Jungwoo -who sewed their clothes when it got ripped. He had embraced the man so tight he was sure the </span>
  <em>
    <span>other </span>
  </em>
  <span>boy’s ribs would break. None of the crew members spoke about it if not to remind him to take it off before sleeping. Doyoung was so shocked but felt so loved, and he knew he could never repay them for the acceptance they showed- nothing changed between him and the crew, it was still soft smiles and playful banter, no hint of awkwardness. Except for Mark who had apologized to him in hushed tones a day after the whole ordeal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He also promptly took up the role of helping around the kitchen whenever he had a break from learning to wield a sword from Taeil, learning to use a gun from Yuta and helping Taeyong read maps as well as plan their routes. Years of being taught how to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>a good housewife</span>
  </em>
  <span> had led to him having decent cooking skills, so he helped their cook Sicheng whenever he could. He loved being a part of the crew and helping with whatever he could, a number of the crew didn’t know how to read- the result of coming from living in poverty as children, so Doyoung had been assigned their chart reader three months into joining his new family on </span>
  <em>
    <span>The White Night.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>( “</span>
  </em>
  <span> Why </span>
  <em>
    <span>“The White Night”</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Doyoung had asked Taeyong under a half moon late at night. The captain had smiled a nostalgic grin and reminissed all those years ago.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I met Johnny on a white night. He was the first one of you lot I found. His blood soaked the snow red as I hauled us to the closest shop I saw.” He said with a grimace, choosing not to elaborate.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened?” The younger found himself saying.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Stabbed on the thigh. Some punks tried to rob him and he fought back. We plundered a ship a couple weeks later, but that's a tale for another day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had left it at that. Doyoung didn’t ask furter, he figured he’d hear the full tale in the years to come</span>
  <em>
    <span>.)</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Doyoung hadn’t had high expectations from life, finding it shocking that he lived this long and found the family he did. He thought he had seen everything from a lone eyeball on the floor (belonging to the deceased captain of </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Rising Dragon</span>
  </em>
  <span>) after a particularly vicious enemy attack, to the stinky sewers of pirate bays, to hookers’ dead bodies after a nasty bar fight between gangs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nothing could prepare him to be face to face with a creature so beautiful but morbid, stealing the breath straight from his lungs and leaving him frozen, staring at the bloodied siren clutching a fish to his chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The day had gone somewhat like this- they had woken up to Mark hollering “MAN -O- WAR INCOMING!” from the crow’s nest at crack dawn. They had shot out of their mattresses and hauled ass to the deck and readied themselves with swords, guns and shouted commands. When two pirate ships fought each other, they didn’t use canons. It was widely known across the pirate world that if you used them in order to win a fight against a ship that wasn’t the navy or the government ships, you’d lose all respect you had. So as soon as the first shot had been heard, the ship had been filled with curses and Yuta clutching at the closest next to him to help operate their own canons.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck, that’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Timeless</span>
  </em>
  <span>! They have some nerve, shooting those cannons. You reckon they have somethin’?” Johnny’s booming voice was heard, shouting over the sounds of cursing and their own cannon fire.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“They must, a ship like that wouldn’t risk their reputation for nothing.” Is the response he gets from Taeyong. Their crew was pretty small, however feared nonetheless. They outnumbered </span>
  <em>
    <span>The White Night</span>
  </em>
  <span> by a couple, but they didn’t have the sea’s best gunmen and swordsmen on their ship.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Soon enough, they were close enough to jump onto the opposing side’s ship. Yuta and Sicheng stayed back by the wheel, shooting their ammo and protecting them while steering the ship. As soon as Doyoung touched foot on the enemy ship, he had a sword slashing toward his chest. He stepped back and countered with a raise of his own cutlass, the fight with the young boy only lasting a couple minutes before he slashed a nastly gash alongside the boy’s arm, then followed by a deep cut alongside his torso. Not enough to kill, but enough to immobilize him. That’s their motto as a crew, </span>
  <em>
    <span>do not kill lightly, kill kindly. </span>
  </em>
  <span>They only kill the captains and those deserving of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was soon faced by another dagger wielding boy, earning himself a nasty cut on the cheek when he got distracted by a foreign voice screaming for mercy. He cursed and stabbed his sword in an attempt to get the boy down. This one was faster than the last, his grin only leaving his face when Doyoung kicked his stomach with such force to knock him off the boat, then stabbed his sword through the man’s foot. He left the boy with his wallowing and looked around, seeing he had defeated the last of the enemy. Taeyong had the captain on his knees, sword pointed to his throat. He made his way over.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why fire the cannons when you have a reputation to uphold?” The redhead asked, digging the sword ever so slightly in, making droplets of blood flow down the bearded captain’s chest. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We have important cargo.” The man sneered in response, keeping still in an attempt to not worsen his situation. Taeyong raised an eyebrow at that, urging the man to continue on. As the man opened his mouth to continue on, a dagger found a place in his back. They all turned their heads to find a boy no older than Doyoung himself sprinting up the steps to the captain’s quarters, he was the one to throw the dagger at the captain. Why someone would kill the man they serve was beyond them. A shot was fired once, twice, but the boy covered himself just in time to escape both. With a nod of his head, Taeyong mentioned Doyoung and Johnny to go after the boy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They sprinted up the stairs and kicked the door open, the foreign boy having logged something behind it in an attempt to keep them out. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll kill you if you harm him!” The boy yelled as soon as they entered the room. Gun shaking in his hand, the other one and his body covering something behind him. The boy had tears streaming down his face, he roughly wiped them off and kept his head high. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny raised his hands and mentioned Doyoung to do the same. The boy was probably scared out of his mind, he couldn’t do any real harm to them. But it intrigued them to no end, pirates usually didn’t have anyone to protect, no crew was as much a family as </span>
  <em>
    <span>The White Night</span>
  </em>
  <span>’s was. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Step aside.” Johnny commanded the boy calmly, taking a step further. The gun cocked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll do it! I swear I will! Don’t move!” The voice wavered, but the determination was clear. Whoever was behind this dude was really important to him. The boy looked Johnny dead in the eyes from his spot on the floor, and his mouth fell open.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Johnny?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ten?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stood there, staring at each other. Doyoung was very lost, how did these two know each other? They must have been friends of some kind, because the next second, the gun was being lowered, and the small body dragged himself off the ground and into Johnny’s awaiting arms. Doyoung took this opportunity to look at what was behind the boy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And that brings them to the current moment, the siren boy’s eyes wide as he clutched an orange scaled fish to his chest and looked at Doyoung with a sense of desperation. He was inside a glass cage too small, barely able to fit his large fin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ten and Johnny were still embracing, and Doyoung was pretty sure the taller was crying.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t ever let me back into the sea again. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The siren signed to him. It took a moment for it to register in his mind, scaled fingers speaking the language he knows by heart. He had only heard tales of sirens and mermaids, and had never seen one in his year at sea. His first instinct should have been to kill it, but as he gazed deep into the creature’s eyes, the whites replaced by a faint purple, he saw the same desperation, the same longing to live he used to see when he looked in the mirror. The siren was so morbid, his body bruised dark shades and features sunken in - but he was also breathtaking. His ghastly features seemed like they were once ethereal but had lost their beauty. Doyoung took a step forward, then promptly got tackled to the ground by the boy he had almost forgotten about. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Johnny shouted his name, but the same sense of anger was back in the silver haired boy’s eyes as he stared down at Doyoung from where he held his arms down. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be damned if I let him get hurt again.” He hissed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not gonna do anything.” He struggled against Ten, then realized it probably made him look even worse, so he willed himself to relax. The siren boy tapped furiously against the glass, trying to catch their attention. He succeeded in doing so. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Kill me </span>
  </em>
  <span>he signed, their eyes grew wide and the body on top of Doyoung released his hold.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I won’t go back there, but I won’t be held captive again. </span>
  </em>
  <span>His face was set with purpose, in that moment, Doyoung realized that the crew treated the siren rougher than the sea on the stormiest days. He had cuts and scratches alongside his torso, some scales on his fin missing and his eyes were laced with defeat. He was all skin and bones, ribs poking through the green tinted skin. Ten was saying “no” over and over, probably trying to find a way out in his head. Doyoung shook his head a firm no.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He waved his hand between Johnny and himself, then closed his hand with his thumb out, bringing it back, brought his index fingers together twice and finished with pointing straight at the siren. </span>
  <em>
    <span>We won’t hurt you.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His sharp eyebrows creased, he pointed around him, tapped his chin twice and brought his Y sign back and forth. It broke Doyoung’s heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>They said the same. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had been lied to and violated. Doyoung was so curious about this siren’s story, but instead he left the cabin to get Taeyong. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We have a situation upstairs.” he spoke to the captain, the urgency in his voice very apparent. The captain followed behind him as he ran back up the stairs. Johnny was kneeling by the tank, Ten’s hand engulfed in his and the other one signing to the siren. He was attempting to comfort him by the look of it. Taeyong’s eyes grew wide as he took in the scene in front of him and he approached the tank slowly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Amazing,” he whispered to himself  “Yet so horrible.” his expression was laced with empathy, as if he’s the one in the water. He made eye contact with the siren, then mentioned Johnny to move out of the way. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What’s your name? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He signed. Doyoung took the moment to look over at Ten, who had calmed down but was clutching at Johnny’s hand with a grip strong enough to bruise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The siren stood still for a moment, almost as if he was sizing Taeyong up and seeing if he should entrust his name to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>J-A-E-Y-H-U-N </span>
  </em>
  <span>he ended up signing, letter by letter. Then pointed a finger at the captain with his eyebrows raised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>T-A-E-Y-O-N-G </span>
  </em>
  <span>the redhead signed back, smiling. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>We’ll keep you safe </span>
  </em>
  <span>he motioned, putting strength into the last action, almost as if he was breaking down the metaphorical chains the siren was tied by. Jaehyun shook his head, not believing. The orange fish swam around his head, flashes of color speeding by. He looked at Ten, and the boy gave him a firm nod. Whoever Johnny was to Ten, by the look of it, they trusted each other fiercely. Those black irises found Doyoung’s once more. He remembered his promise to Yuta in that exact moment, </span>
  <em>
    <span>As we breathe, we won’t let anyone feel the same hurt, the same suffocation. </span>
  </em>
  <span>They had laced those words with intertwined pinkies and a kiss to their fingers. As he looked at the terrified siren in front of him, it was almost automatic to bring a finger to his lips then to his closed fist. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Promise</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>In a matter of minutes, the tank was moved to their own ship and they had two new additions to the ship. Doyoung doesn’t know whether or not Ten would stay, or what Jaehyun would want to do. However when he turns his head and sees the fond look Johnny has on his face while talking to Ten, he knows that they have no intention of letting go of eachother once more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaehyun was very scared as they moved him, his eyes sewn shut as to not see the blood and barely alive bodies aboard the ship. Some from </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Timeless </span>
  </em>
  <span>had tried to reach them, though had gotten their worth of injuries after the attempt. Some had sneered, some had whistled, some had had the audacity to tell them to sell the siren and get a treasure from the townspeople. Some of those pirates lost the flesh inside their mouth that spewed bullshit, but that was those bastards’ problem now, not theirs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as they set down the tank on the ship’s deck, the siren opened his eyes and gasped out loud, the sound muffled by the water around him.  He didn’t tear his gaze away from the sky even as he signed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Beautiful </span>
  </em>
  <span>he signed. Doyoung thought the motion was very fitting for the boy, a hand waving around his face and then mentioning outwards. The pirate couldn’t see what the boy was so fascinated about, but seeing him awestruck was even more beautiful than the boring old sky. Ten looked at him with fond eyes as an older brother would. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s been locked inside that room, not seeing the sky for so long. I doubt he saw the sky that much when he was with his pack either, they tend to stick to the deep and only come up to kill.” He spoke, answering the question that had been in their heads. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why did your crew have him in the first place? Capturing mermaids is one thing, but capturing a siren? That’s suicide.” Sicheng questioned. Ten opened his mouth to answer, but impatient taps on the tank captured his attention instead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Open </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jaehyun signed, then pointed at the top of the tank where it was sealed shut. Ten made his way there and started trying to undo the chains the captain had used to seal it shut. By the way he was cursing, his attempts weren’t working. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me do it” said Donghyuk. Ten gave him a questioning glance, as if he was wondering how the small boy knew how to pick locks. Donghyuk rolled his eyes and got to work, nudging Mark to encourage him to explain. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s quite the thief. Back in the day he stripped me of all my valuables when we met him. Picking locks and stealing valuables is like breathing to him” the second youngest spoke with a soft but joking tone to his voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Was! I’m not like that </span>
  <em>
    <span>anymore!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Donghyuk exclaimed, defending himself. He also dramatically dropped the first lock to the ground as he said it. A row of laughter went through the crew, even the feisty newcomer stifling a chuckle at the used to be thief’s dramatics. As casual conversation was exchanged once more, Doyoung couldn’t help but look at the siren once more. Jaehyun’s eyes were darting between the sky and Donghyuk’s handy work. Doyoung moved closer to the tank and sank to his knees in front of it, so the beautiful boy could see his hands clearly as he signed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>How? </span>
  </em>
  <span>the pirate signed. The boy in front of him tilted his head in confusion. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How did you get captured? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Doyoung asked with slow movements. Jaehyun’s eyes clouded with pain and he shook his head. The pirate gave him a comforting smile and let it go, if it was a touchy subject, he wouldn’t push. The siren seemed appreciative of the gesture and gave him a small smile in return. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Donghyuk finally cracked the last lock open with a triumphant yell and pulled the top of the too small tank off. Ten was by the siren’s side in an instant, and Jaehyun shot out of the tank and luned himself at the smaller boy. Doyoung saw Johnny lurch forward, thinking that Jaehyun was trying to attack his friend (?). But after seeing Ten release a shaky whimper and wrap his hands tightly around the green tinted skin, they understood and let them be. The scene seemed so raw, and they could all see the ocean blue tears escaping the purple scleras from the siren as well as the clear dallops from the pirate. After a couple more moments of tightly holding onto each other, Jaehyun eased himself back into the water, though now more comfortable with his head poking out from the tank. Ten’s shirt was soaked through, but Doyoung knew the boy didn’t really care. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Touching.” said Taeyong, not needing to sign anymore since the siren could now hear him clearly. “I’d love to hear your tale.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That seemed to make both the newcomers uncomfortable. Doyoung laid a gentle hand on the captain’s arm, giving him a silent message with his eyes and a tilt of his head when he turned around to face him. The ever so observant captain took the hint and nodded back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually, maybe in time.” Taeyong spoke with a soft tone, looking the newcomers in the eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Taeil, change the course. We’re going to Tortuga.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taeil complied and sprinted back up the steps to steer the wheel. The red headed captain resumed to speak after seeing the many questioning glances. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We need a more comfortable tank for him. He said he’s not going back to the sea, so he’ll be our guest for a while until we figure out what to do.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Everybody let out sighs and breaths. Though they knew their kindhearted captain wouldn’t do something as horrible as sell their new friend to someone in Tortuga, it still crossed their minds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With another coy smile, the captain made his way to the wheel, shouting commands to the crew as he went.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Doyoung didn’t stick around for much longer, since he needed to help Jungwoo with the sails as he was still learning. But as he stalked off, he made sure to give a genuine smile to the two new boys on their deck.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Though it’s a little embarrassing to admit, Doyoung totally had forgotten about the siren on their deck until he went to the deck in the wee hours of the night. He had been busy the whole day, and he had been very very sleepy. So imagine his surprise when he was faced with the bright eyes of Jaehyun when he was still half asleep. Clutching his chest and whispering a few curses, he made his way to the tank to sit next to him as he kept watch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaehyun was giggling to himself after seeing Doyoung’s startled expression, bubbles dancing around his face in the water. The pirate gave a chuckle of his own and sat down on the hardwood floor. The siren poked his head out from the tank and continued to smile softly as he stared at the moon. The soft shine made his green tinted skin shine and illuminate his face in a beautiful way. Doyoung could understand why men in the sea would plunge themselves in the water for his kind, only if the boy didn’t look so sickly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How come you and Ten are so close?” Doyoung asked the question that had been in his mind. The rest of the crew hadn’t made an attempt to protect anyone’s life but their own, in usual pirate fashion. But Ten had rushed to Jaehyun, threatening the enemy, knowing he could die in an instant in doing so. It was unusual.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The siren leaned back in his tank to free his hands to sign. </span>
  <em>
    <span>When I was there, Ten brought me food. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jaehyun had a soft expression in his face, almost as if he was remembering each and every encounter. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kind </span>
  </em>
  <span> he signed, </span>
  <em>
    <span>taught me sign language to talk and not harm. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He stopped and closed his eyes for a moment, the moonlight letting Doyoung take in his serene expression with an underlying of pain. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He brought his L shaped hand to his left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Brother. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> Doyoung was taken aback, it was obvious that the siren was hiding certain details, but he was a pirate with manners, so he once again didn’t push.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You see him as your brother?” he asked, just to confirm. He got a soft nod back. Doyoung turned to the moon and the sea again before speaking. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This crew is my family. They’re my brothers. They can be yours too, if you want to.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They shared a tender look, though Jaehyun didn’t sign anything back, Doyoung knew he was touched. The slight quiver of his rosy pink lips gave it away, twitching as if he was holding back tears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He brought a hand to his mouth, then forward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Thank you. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He paused before continuing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t trust that fast. </span>
  </em>
  <span>His face looked glum as his hands worked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Doyoung took his hands in his own before releasing it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>We’ll wait. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He gave the siren a smile, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Whatever you choose to do, we’ll help. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After yet another soft smile, they both got lost in looking at the scenery in front of them as if bewitched. The knocking of webbed knuckles was what made Doyoung snap out of his thoughts and the moon. He turned his body to the siren once more and awaited the delicate hands to move. Jaehyun seemed to pause almost as if he was taking in a breath of the salt water he was caged with, then slowly signed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sirens don’t remember their past, maybe only a couple memories at best. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jaehyun stopped for a second to prepare himself for the story he was about to tell. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I saw a child on their boat. He was only ten, crying because he was so scared of the waters we were in with my pack. I saw the life fade from his eyes as the sirens ripped him apart. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Salty tears were running down his face, almost as if on instinct, Doyoung went to cup his cheek. Jaehyun flinched away before realizing the pirate didn’t intend to hurt him. He stroked his cheek and spoke softly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t owe me your story if you don’t want to talk about it.” Upon hearing the words Jaehyun heaved a sigh, then signed with the hand not holding the pirate’s one on his cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I want to. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Doyoung withdrew his hand but not without pressing a soft kiss to the back of the webbed hand of the siren. He was sure that if sirens could blush, Jaehyun would be in that moment. After another moment, his hands started moving again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I remembered. I had a brother before I turned, he was only eight. He was left behind when I was taken to work aboard a ship, he was my last thought as I died and the sea turned me. When I saw that boy gasping and calling for his mother, it was more painful than death. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Doyoung took Jaehyun’s hand and whispered reassurances, occasionally wiping the blue tears escaping. He continued to do so until the green tinted boy felt like he could continue.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>They said “All men deserve death, they are not to be forgiven.” I left before they could kill any more children and helped the crew escape, but my family injured me, fought me. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He signed the word family as if he was disgusted by the thought of it now. Doyoung understood why he was so disgusted with his pack.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I thought the crew would help me because I saved them, but they took me instead. They said they would kill the kids they had if I don’t come with them, T-E-N was the only one that didn’t want to sell me. I lived for him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Doyoung could see how in pain Jaehyun was from remembering all of the memories that haunted him. The siren was now sobbing, the tears falling onto the tank and the little orange fish rubbing against Jaehyun as if to comfort him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We won’t let that happen ever again Jaehyun. I know it’s hard to trust, but we’re here for you, we won’t torture you like they did.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The siren looked up from where his gaze was locked on their interlaced hands and pulled them away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He brought a finger to his lips then to a closed fist, eyebrows raised and tears still shining with a soft glint. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Promise? </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He asked, mirroring the gestures Doyoung had signed a mere couple hours prior. The pirate didn’t hesitate for a second before repeating the action with a firm nod and a determined gaze. The defeated and tortured gaze was still apparent, the months of torture would not be erased from a night of conversation, but it now had an added tint. Determination. Jaehyun was now determined to live, to trust and to love. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In that moment -under the half moon’s gentle light, their fingers interlaced once more and their roaming the worlds of each other's eyes, both the pirate and the siren knew that they would be alright. </span>
</p>
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